🛳️ Redesigning Cruising: How Newbuilds Are Adapting Post-COVI

My name is Davide Ramponi, I’m 20 years old and currently training as a shipping agent in Hamburg. On my blog, I take you with me on my journey into the exciting world of shipping. I share my knowledge, my experiences, and my progress on the way to becoming an expert in the field of Sale and Purchase – the trade with ships.

The cruise industry was one of the hardest-hit sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic. From global travel bans to ship quarantines, the challenges weren’t just operational—they were existential. Yet, in true maritime fashion, the sector didn’t sink—it innovated.

From 2020 to 2024, we’ve seen a radical rethink in cruise vessel design and strategy. Newbuilds ordered during or after the pandemic reflect a new normal—one where health security, airflow, flexibility, and digital capability take centre stage.

In this post, I’ll walk you through:

• 🧼 How cruise vessel design has evolved for hygiene and wellness

• 💨 New standards for ventilation, medical readiness, and passenger movement

• 💰 Economic shifts influencing vessel size and layout

• ⚖️ Regulatory adaptations and classification changes post-pandemic

• 🚢 Lessons learned from cruise ship deliveries between 2020–2024

Let’s take a closer look at how COVID reshaped the cruise ship from the keel up—and what it means for future newbuilds.

🧼 Designing for Hygiene: From Shared Spaces to Safe Spaces

Before 2020, cruise design was all about maximising shared experiences—buffets, theatres, lounges, dance floors. Post-COVID, the industry has had to pivot toward controlled environments and contact-aware design.

Key Design Adjustments:

• Touchless tech: Elevator buttons replaced with foot pedals or app controls

• Zoned access: Crew and passenger areas are more clearly separated to reduce cross-contamination

• Self-service elimination: Buffets now feature staff-assisted serving lines or digital ordering

• Cleaning access: Surfaces and spaces are designed for easier disinfection, with materials that resist microbial growth

💡 Newbuild Highlight:

MSC World Europa, delivered in 2022, introduced more private dining pods and AI-assisted sanitation zones throughout the ship.

🎯 Takeaway:

Cruise lines are designing spaces that reduce high-touch congestion—without sacrificing the luxury experience.

💨 Air, Health & Flow: Engineering for Containment and Care

COVID taught us that air quality is critical at sea—especially in ships with thousands of people living in enclosed environments for days or weeks. Newbuilds have responded with high-tech HVAC and advanced medical planning.

Ventilation Overhaul:

• HEPA filtration systems standardised across public and cabin areas

• 100% fresh air circulation (avoiding recycled air where possible)

• Zoned air control—air doesn’t flow from cabin to cabin

• Real-time air quality monitoring via onboard sensors

Medical Facility Upgrades:

• ICU-ready rooms with ventilators and oxygen

• Isolation zones near the ship's clinic

• Telemedicine integration for land-based support

• Rapid testing labs onboard (used for COVID, now adapted for flu, norovirus, etc.)

Passenger Flow and Crowd Management:

• Digital queueing systems for embarkation and excursions

• One-way walkways to manage circulation

• Staggered mealtimes and event scheduling

🚢 Example:

Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas features separate HVAC systems per zone and smart wristband entry to reduce contact and queueing.

🎯 Takeaway:

Cruise ships are being designed like floating hospitals crossed with smart cities—seamless, sanitised, and sensor-connected.

💰 Rethinking Size and Capacity: The New Cruise Economics

The cruise industry entered the pandemic on a wave of mega-vessel enthusiasm. Ships like Symphony of the Seas could carry over 6,500 passengers. But in a post-pandemic world, smaller sometimes looks smarter.

What’s Changing?

• 📉 Demand for smaller vessels with fewer crowds and more personal space

• 🛳️ Boutique expedition ships are gaining popularity—especially in polar and cultural cruise markets

• 💼 Multi-use spaces (e.g. transforming dining areas into lecture halls or wellness zones) for program flexibility

• 💸 CapEx caution: Investors prefer projects with smaller crew/passenger ratios and better cost-per-berth returns

🛠️ Newbuilding projects are more modular, with lower up-front tonnage but room to expand later. Some cruise lines are also delaying mega-ship orders in favour of fleet diversification.

🎯 Takeaway:

Post-COVID cruising is about flexibility, not flash. Smaller, safer, and smarter ships are seen as more resilient investments.

⚖️ Navigating New Rules: Regulatory Shifts Since COVID

The pandemic didn’t just change public perception—it changed how ships are classified, inspected, and regulated.

New Guidelines and Compliance Areas:

• IMO and WHO health guidance integration for onboard protocols

• Class societies like DNV and Lloyd’s Register introduced Infection Prevention Notations (e.g. “DNV CIP-M”)

• US CDC's Conditional Sailing Order has influenced cruise practices globally

• Port state requirements now include isolation readiness, medical staff ratios, and real-time reporting

Design Impact:

• Medical centres must now meet new square-metre-per-berth ratios

• Water systems must enable contactless hand hygiene at all food service points

• Emergency drills and procedures now factor in infection control logistics

📜 Classification Highlight:

DNV’s “CIP” (Certification in Infection Prevention) notation has been adopted by multiple cruise lines as part of their newbuild specification.

🎯 Takeaway:

Health is no longer an operational protocol—it’s now embedded into the vessel’s design, class notation, and flag compliance.

🚢 Lessons from 2020–2024 Cruise Newbuilds

Between 2020 and 2024, a number of vessels were delivered that reflect a mid-pandemic design mentality. These ships offer valuable insights into what works—and what still needs refining.

📍 Key Learnings:

1. Digital Integration Works

Ships with mobile apps for everything—boarding, booking, ordering, alerts—had smoother guest management and reduced physical contact.

✅ Example: 

Princess Cruises’ MedallionClass system proved vital in managing passenger flow and reducing queues.

2. Built-In Flexibility Pays Off

Ships with convertible cabins and public spaces could adjust to distancing protocols more easily.

✅ Example: 

Viking Venus added private screening rooms and repurposable lounges during design.

3. Trust is Built Through Transparency

Guests respond well to visible health measures—open medical facilities, daily air quality updates, sanitation notifications.

✅ Example: 

Celebrity Apex used public dashboards to show real-time hygiene and safety metrics.

4. Redundancy = Resilience

Ships that factored in dual ventilation zones, independent power loops, and medical isolation rooms adapted better to outbreak scenarios.

✅ Example: 

Silver Moon’s “100% fresh air” policy and medical-grade ventilation proved a strong selling point.

🎯 Takeaway:

Ships built with health-first principles—not just retrofitted for hygiene—outperformed expectations.

🧠 Conclusion: Building the Future of Cruise with Health at Heart

COVID may have changed how the world travels—but it also offered the cruise industry an opportunity to rebuild stronger, smarter, and safer. Newbuild cruise ships post-2020 are no longer just floating resorts—they’re resilient, modular, and medically informed environments.

Key Takeaways 🎯

• Cruise ship design now prioritises sanitation, flow, and contact reduction

• Ventilation, medical spaces, and digital integration are critical upgrades

• Economic models favour smaller, flexible, and more agile newbuilds

• Regulations now shape design from the keel up

• 2020–2024 projects prove that health-first design enhances operational resilience

The cruise ship of the future isn’t just beautiful—it’s biosecure.And that’s a journey worth building.

👇 What do you thing?

Have you been involved in a post-COVID cruise project? Are you seeing demand shift toward health-first design?

💬 Share your thoughts in the comments — I look forward to the exchange!

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